For many of us reared in Texas, your first and only oyster experience may likely be from our Texas shore, the large Gulf oyster. Gone are the days of the 50 cent all you can eat Gulf oyster bars; yet these are still much more affordable than are neighboring Pacific or Atlantic oysters.
Why is that? Well, sure, Texas Gulf oysters aren’t being imported, though they are still travelling inland for most of us Texans. It majority comes down to their life span. Gulf oysters take only 6 to 12 months from spit(seed) to maturity(time to slurp down)! The smaller Pacific and Atlantic oysters which offer a huge punch of sea flavor take anywhere from 4-6 years average growth time before they come to market! Six years! I can’t even keep a cactus alive for that long.